Promising innovations in justice policies and practices, often grouped under the heading of “smart justice,” are gathering bipartisan support across the U.S.
On Feb. 4-5, 2013, more than 30 of America's leading criminologists, policymakers and law enforcement authorities, led by keynote speakers Loretta Lynch, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; and Mary Lou Leary, acting assistant U.S. Attorney General, gathered at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York to examine the outlook for “smart justice” in the aftermath of the Fall 2012 elections.
The 8th annual John Jay/HF Guggenheim Symposium on Crime in America was sponsored by John Jay's Center on Media, Crime and Justice (CMCJ), which also publishes The Crime Report.
Among the subjects covered in the 2013 sessions were the prospects for bi-partisan agreement on setting a new “smart justice” agenda during the second term of the Obama Administration; new approaches to incarceration and re-entry; and the potential role of the private sector in supporting criminal justice reform.
For a complete agenda, click HERE. (some speakers could not attend)
For reports on the conference highlights on Feb 4 click HERE
For reports on conference highlights on Feb 5, click HERE
The speakers were joined by 18 journalists selected in a nationwide competition as John Jay/HF Guggenheim Reporting Fellows to participate in the discussions. The journalists, representing print, online and broadcasting outlets, were chosen based on proposed reporting projects tied to the conference theme. For a list of Fellows, click HERE.
Speakers included Pennsylvania Corrections Secretary John Wetzel; Michael Jacobson, Director of the Vera Institute; criminologist Al Blumstein of Carnegie Mellon University, Jerry Madden (R), former chair of the Texas Assembly Corrections Committee, Darrin Williams (D), former chair of the Arkansas House of Representatives Judiciary Committee and now speaker pro tem; Bobby Vassar, chief counsel for the minority of the House Judiciary subcommittee on crime; Norman Reimer, Executive Director of NACDL; Alicia Glen, manager of the urban investment group at Goldman Sachs; and Elizabeth Gaynes, director of the Osborne Association; and Tim Murray, executive director of the Pretrial Justice Institute.
This page contains links to resources and handouts from the conference, podcasts from the panels and keynote remarks. Please check this page regularly for updates, including stories and projects of Reporting Fellows and relevant conference resources.